Armed groups' readiness to sign ceasefire pact heralds hope for peace: Myanmar state counselor

Five armed groups' willingness to sign the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA) has shown rays of hope for peace, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi said.

Suu Kyi made the remarks at the end of her televised speech marking one year of the NLD government Thursday night shortly after she was informed that the five armed groups would sign the NCA.

However, she warned that "At such a time of great importance, undesirable destructive elements and instigation intended to harm peace might emerge," urging leaders of the ethnic nationalities and her compatriots to be extremely vigilant.

The five armed groups of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), who expressed their willingness to join in signing the NCA, are Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Arakan National Council (ANC), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) and Wa National Organization (WNO).

With the proposed accession to NCA, there remains only two armed groups yet to follow suit which are the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) or Shan State Army (SSA).

Suu Kyi said the five armed groups' promised signing of the NCA came after year-long negotiations.

She has stressed the importance of inking the NCA which would pave way for them to attend the upcoming second meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference expected in April or May, a dialogue open to all ethnic armed groups.

Myanmar's previous government and eight other armed groups signed the NCA on Oct. 15, 2015, and the first meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Conference was held in Nay Pyi Taw in August 2016, months after the new government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) took office.

Meanwhile, Myanmar has been holding national region-oriented and race-oriented political dialogue in regions and states across the nation since January.

The outcome of all regional dialogues will be submitted to the upcoming second meeting of the Panglong Peace Conference, which is expected to gather about 700 representatives.

source: Xinhua